InuYasha: A Nutcracker Tale
by H. E. Vaughn
Summary: A new twist on an old tale. Kagome's cousin has a Christmas party, and Kagome brings InuYasha. When her cousin's BFF shows up and brings some magic to this party, what will happen between this cute couple? Shows some characters from my other stories.
1. Chapter 1

A/n: Here's my story! Enjoy!

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_December 20, 2008_

_Dear Diary,_

_Just four more days untill Christmas Eve. I just now got back from the Feudal Era. InuYasha thinks I have a test to study for, but that's not true. My cousin, Tukari, always has her annual Christmas party on Christmas Eve at our Great-Grandparents' house. This year, she wrote to us that we could invite any of our friends to come with us. I think I might bring InuYasha, but I'm not sure about the others. Her older sister, Mizuki, and all of her friends would get Miroku into a real frenzy, which wouldn't help Sango's situation, either. Kirara and Shippo, being pure demons, wouldn't fit in at the party, so I can't bring them either. Besides, they're so small, and someone could step on them!_

_Tukari said that her best friend, Hannah, will be giving out the first gift of Christmas this year, which is another tradition. It's sort of like a secret Santa, but backwards. You don't know who's getting the gift, but you know who's giving it. Last year, I got to give the first gift of Christmas, and I gave it to Grandma Tsukinako, Tukari's mother's mother, for helping with the poor and homeless people all over the world the entire year. Well, 'till next time!_

_Sincerely,_

_Kagome._

Kagome sighed heavily as she closed her journal. Christmas was less than a week away, and she still had to get her gifts for everyone. She stood from her desk and sat on her bed. She fell backwards on to her pillow, and closed her eyes.

_/Keep your mind open.../_ she thought. Tukari was always telling her that. Every time she was left alone to think, she'd open her mind to everything, and new worlds could be seen in her mind. Fields with purple trees and beaches with silver sand and a sparkling golden lagoon. Anything could happen, and everything began there.

"Kagome," her mom called from downstairs, bringing her back from her fantasy, "Tukari just called. She said to watch the program on channel 7." Kagome sat up and sighed.

"Coming!" she called back, standing up and walking to the door. She walked down the stairs and sat in front of the t.v.

"So, what's on channel 7 that's so special?" she asked, accepting the soda and bag of candy that her younger brother, Sota, handed to her.

"Well," her mom began, "Tukari said that her friend, Hannah, said that a really famous ballet is on. It's called 'The Nutcracker', I think." Kagome nodded, pulling a piece of strawberry pocky out of the bag and biting it in half.

"I've heard of that," she whispered, "It's a really fascinating story, actually. There's this girl, Clara, that gets a nutcracker from her Godpappa Drosselmeier, or some name like that. Then, Clara's little brother, Fritz, breaks the nutcracker, and Clara is really sad. Her godpappa puts a handkerchief around where it broke and says he'll fix it the next morning. Then, the story goes that Clara and this prince go to this magic land where candy dances for them."

"Well, that sure is interesting," Sota said, sitting next to Grandpa, "I can't wait to see it!"

"You won't have to wait long, then, Sota," Kagome said, as the music began to play on the screen. Suddenly, there came a knock on the door.

"Ugh, I'll get it," Kagome groaned, walking over to the door. When she opened it, she saw it to be a young man, not even a man, a boy, about 11 or 12, standing on her porch with a package under his arm.

"Yes," he said, clearing his throat, "special delivery for Kagome Higurashi." Kagome put her hands on her hips.

"Oh, and just who is it from?" she asked, suspiciously.

"Uh, um," he stammered, "it's from a, um, a T-Tukari Matsumoto, I b-believe." Kagome nodded, looking at the boy's face.

"Well, would that make you Tasukuno Matsumoto, then?" she asked. The boy sighed.

"Nothing gets past you, huh, cousin Mei-Mei?" Tasukuno laughed. Kagome chuckled lightly.

"Only my friend, InuYasha," she said, "but, of course, that only happens sometimes."

"Really? What do you mean?"

"You might want to move over here," she whispered. Tasukuno walked behind her.

"InuYasha," she said loudly, "sit." With that, a figure came crashing onto the snowy ground below. It lifted its head, face now blue from the cold, and glared at Kagome.

"Kagome, what's you do that for?!" InuYasha yelled, his ears back against his head. He gasped. He looked at Tasukuno, then at Kagome, then back at Tasukuno.

"Um," he whispered, "Kagome, who's this?"

"Oh, he's my cousin, Tasukuno Matsumoto. Kuno-san, this is InuYasha. He's my half-demon friend from the Feudal Era." Tasukuno gasped, and looked towards InuYasha in awe.

"Wow, Mei-Mei, that's super cool that you know a half-demon! I heard that back in the Feudal Era, half-demons were at least twice as powerful as regular demons." InuYasha stood slightly taller at the compliment.

"Well, InuYasha has shown his strength against demons more times than can be counted," Kagome said, beaming.

"Hey, is he coming to Kari-chan's party on Friday?"

"I don't know, really. Hey, InuYasha, would you like to come with us to my cousin's party?" InuYasha raised an eyebrow in confusion. He looked from Kagome, to Tasukuno, and back at Kagome.

"I don't know..." he said, scratching his head.

"Please?" Kagome asked, eyes becoming wider and her bottom lip quivering. InuYasha looked at her for just one second, then couldn't take his eyes away. He looked into her eyes, and stared deeply into them as the began to grow even wider. She began to twirl a piece of his hair around her finger, which did it for him.

"Okay, I'll come," he said, smiling.

"Awesome," Tasukuno said, "I'll tell sis about this when I get back. See you guys later!" With that, he left, leaving Kagome and InuYasha alone on the front porch.

"Hmm," Kagome said, picking up the package from the porch swing, "I wonder what's in here. Let's go inside and have a look, InuYasha." They both walked into the home and sat in the living room with the others.

"What's that, sis?" Sota asked, walking over to them.

"It's a package from Tukari," she said, beginning to open the package, "Tasukuno just dropped it off."

"You know, Kagome, you should be careful about what's in there," InuYasha said. Kagome laughed.

"InuYasha, it's from my cousin. If Naraku had done anything to it, you and I would be able to tell," she replied. She removed the rope that held the wrappings together, and gasped at the sight. There was a beautiful, silky, strapless dress in the wrappings. It was lime green on most of it, but some parts were carnation pink. There was a silver sash sewn around the waist, and silver over the chest part as well. There were also dark pink rhinstones along the silver parts of the chest. It came with a silver choker with a pink jewel attached, silvery-white ballet tights, a pink hair ribbon, and a pair of silver pointe shoes.

"My, what a lovely dress that is, Kagome," her mom said, as Kagome lifted to get a better look. It seemed that it would end right above her knees.

"Now I see why they called a 'special delivery'!" Kagome said, holding the dress close as she did a quick turn.

"Yeah, that dress is really pretty, Kagome," Sota said, looking over the dress's features.

"I can't wait for the party!" Kagome yelled, laughing as she watched Sota, Grandpa, and Mom do a dance together right in the middle of the floor.

.........

A/n: Well, as you can see, I changed this to a chapter story, to make it easier on myself and others. I promise I will work on it soon.

xoxo,

The Nightopian Princess


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: Welll, here's chapter 2. Enjoy!

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"Come on, Kagome, we're going to be late!" Kagome raced around her room, looking for a hairbrush and a tube of pink lipgloss, finding both under her bed. The four days had finally past. Christmas Eve was upon them, and they were finishing up before leaving for their Great-Grandparents' home just a few miles north of there. Kagome quickly took her hair out of the curlers she was wearing and brushed gently through it so not to ruin the curls. She carefully put the ribbon around one specific layer of hair and tied it in a lovely bow. For the final touch, Kagome put on the lipgloss and sprayed some perfume on herself before stepping outside her door. She grabbed her pointe shoes and placed them on her feet, tieing the ribbons into bows on the backs of her ankles instead of tucking them in. With that, she stepped over to the stairs, walking down carefully, so not to wrinkle her dress. She saw InuYasha and the others waiting down at the bottom. The first one to notice her was Sota.

"Wow, sis, you look amazing," he said, beaming at his older sister. When he said that, everyone turned to see Kagome. When InuYasha turned, though, something happened. As soon as he layed his eyes on Kagome, he couldn't see anybody or anything else. It was as if they were the only ones in the room.

_/Damn, Kagome looks absolutly gorgeous in that dress/ _he thought, _/Wait, why am I thinking that? How come whenever she's around, I can't see anybody or anything anymore? Am I...in __**love**__ with her?/_ His vision slowly regained as he saw Kagome walking towards her mom.

"Kagome, dear, that dress is lovely," she said, kissing her daughter on the cheek.

"Thanks, Mom," Kagome replied, hugging her back, "So, are you guys ready or what?" With that, the group grabbed their coats and headed out into the snow. They all climbed into the car, and began to drive to the party.

"Hey Kagome," InuYasha said halfway to the party, "what's this exactly? What are you supposed to do at this party?"

"Well, there's dancing, singing, food, and then there's the first gift of Christmas tradition. One person is chosen to give the gift, and they get to chose who they give it to. It's the first gift we open the whole night. Then, there's a strange rumor that these people are haunted that one night of the year."

"What rumor?" InuYasha asked, folding his arms into his robe of the fire rat.

"Well, some people say that the person that gets the first gift goes to a strange world. Some say they go to heaven, but that's only because when Great-Great-Grandma Kunitta got the first gift 25 years ago, she died in the middle of the night. Others say that they go to a world where creatures dance for you." InuYasha nodded.

"What do you think of it?" he asked.

"I think that if you don't really know, you shouldn't say anything," Kagome said with a sigh.

"Hey, sis," Sota said, tapping her shoulder.

"What is it, Sota?" she asked, turning towards him. He pointed out the window.

"We're almost there! I can practically smell Great-Gramma Suikonei's special gingerbread cookies!" Kagome smiled as she thought of them, with cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on top, and with nutmeg and pumpkin spice cooked inside.

"Mmm, me too!"she said, looking to her right out InuYasha's window at the large, outdoor Christmas tree, decorated with scented candles and berries. The glow of the candles in the windows made Kagome's face shimmer in the night. InuYasha looked at her, watching the reflection of her excitement swirl in her brown eyes, but when she looked at him, he quickly turned his head away, blushing. As the large house came closer in view, the more Kagome thought about Christmas last year, and how she had slipped on the carpet covering the stairs and had almost knocked Tukari into the punch bowl.

"That's not happening this year," she whispered, just low enough where only she could hear. They soon stopped at the front steps, and parked behind all the other cars. They all climbed out of the car and walked up to the doors. A group of four people, each about 13 years old, standing outside the building, were talking amongst themselves untill the blonde spotted Kagome.

"Mei-Mei!" she called, running over to her.

"Hey, Tukari," she replied, hugging her cousin, "How've you been? I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I've gotten better," Tukari said, "oh, and I want you to meet my friends. Kagome, this is my best friend, Hannah." She gestured towards the brunette, who smiled at her sweetly and waved.

"Her boyfriend, Koji," she continued, gesturing towards the raven-haired boy with the ponytail, "and his twin brother, who also happens to be my boyfriend, Koichi." She pointed at the other boy, who looked just like Koji, except with shorter hair and lighter eyes.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Kagome said, shaking each of their hands, "I'm Kagome, Tukari's cousin."

"I see you liked the dress we made you," Hannah said, smiling. Kagome gasped.

"You guys _made_ this?!" she exclaimed, doing a quick turn that made the dress fan out, "It must've taken you guys forever!" Hannah and Tukari giggled slightly.

"Not really," Hannah replied, "just 3 months is all."

"We made it just for you," Tukari added. Kagome smiled at them.

"Awe, thanks, you guys!" she said, hugging each of them.

"Hey, Kagome, what's taking you so damn long?" InuYasha walked over to them, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Both Hannah and Tukari gasped when they noticed his litttle, gray dog ears.

"Are you a demon?" Tukari asked, taking a step closer for a better look. Hannah looked at his eyes, and noticed something strange about them.

"You're the younger son of the Great dog demon, InuTaisho, aren't you?" she asked, surprising both Kagome and him.

"Um, yeah..." InuYasha replied, hesitating ever so slightly.

"How do you know that?" Kagome asked, placing her hands on her hips suspiciously. Suddenly, they heard a yell, a crash, then finally the sound of glass falling on the ground. Hannah groaned.

"I'll be right back," she whispered, before turning around and walking inside, screaming and cursing, "Alright, you two, what the hell did I just finish saying about the fighting?!" Not too soon afterwards, the sound of two heads, more like empty coconuts, crashing together, along with two loud yelps of pain, echoed out to where the others stood. A minute later, Hannah came walking back out, red in the face, and dragging two figures along behind her, one tall with black and red hair, the other slightly shorter with purple hair. When she got to the group, she threw the two figures in front of them, both mumbling and cursing to themselves.

"NiGHTS and Reala," Hannah said loudly, both of her hands on her hips and her foot tapping, "just what in hell do you two think you're doing?" They both just stared at her, a scared expression visable on both of their faces.

"Hannah," Koji said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "They probably just slipped on the carpet that covers the stairs and got knocked into the table." Hannah let out a sigh. She knew he was probably right.

"Is this true, boys?" she asked, putting her arms back down by her sides. Both of them nodded, eyes still wide with fear. She laughed lightly at their faces, then got serious again.

"Well," she said, "if this happens one more time, NiGHTS, I _will_ call Tsuki, and Reala, I _will _get Father. Understood?" They nodded again. Hannah smiled gently, then held both hands out and helped them up.

"Brr, it's c-c-c-cold out here!" Kagome said, shivering. Hannah looked at Tukari for a moment, then they both winked at each other.

"Hey, Kagome," Tukari said, "Mammie made those special Christmas cookies just a few minutes ago." Kagome just stared at her in disbelief.

"Yeah, and they should still be warm," Hannah added, "By the way, I wanna try one of those cookies. The way you described them made them sound delicious!" Kagome blinked her eyes a few times, then quickly shook her head.

"T-Th-Then what are w-we j-j-j-j-j-just standing around out he-here for?" she managed to get past her, now blue, lips. She began to walk quickly towards the inside of the building, everyone following quickly behind her. The large ballroom was filled with many people, both friends and family, dancing around, chatting, and snacking on the Christmas goodies. Up on stage, Zoe, Hannah and Tukari's friend, was singing Hannah Montana's "Bigger Than Us". Kagome's eyes brightened as she saw the large tree in the corner, presents surrounding it and spreading a meter or so away from the tree. She gently slid off her white jacket, her shoulders, lightly covered in golden glitter, shimmering in the lights. A man came over and offered to take her jacket to the coat room. She handed it to him, then began to walk down the steps and over to her cousin, Mizuki.

"Mizu?" she said, tapping her 25-year-old cousin lightly on the shoulder. Mizuki turned around, and squealed when she saw Kagome standing there beside her.

"Gome-chan!" she said, hugging her cousin and kissing both of her cheeks, "Just the gal I wanted to talk to!"

"What is it, Zuzu-kun?" she asked.

"Well, you know I've been dating Daisuke Sottiyama for about two years now, right?" Kagome nodded.

"Well, on my birthday this year, Dai-chan took me to Tokyo Disneyland for three days, and guess what!"

"What?!"

"On the third day, right before the fireworks, he _proposed_ to me!" Kagome just stared at Mizuki, her jaw on the floor and her eyes wide as plates.

"Mei?" Muzuki asked, waving a hand in front of her cousin's face. Kagome shook it off, then, utterly and without warning, she screamed very loudly, so that many people in the room turned at stared at her, including InuYasha. He growled slightly, and ran over to where she stood by her cousin.

"Kagome, what happened?" he asked, frantic. He gasped as he saw Kagome hugging her cousin, saying things like "I'm so happy for you" and "I wish I had been there!". She turned her gaze to the side, and noticed InuYasha standing there, his expression showing his confusion.

"Oh, hey, InuYasha," she said, smiling at him.

"Why the hell did you just scream?" he asked, still very confused. Now Kagome was confused.

"I screamed?" she asked. InuYasha nodded, and so did a few others.

"Didn't know," she said, shrugging her shoulders, "Sorry if I worried you." InuYasha just 'feh'ed and walked off, leaving Kagome slightly stunned.

"He your boyfriend?" Kagome snapped out of her daze, and turned to face her cousin so fast, she thought her head would come off.

"Excuse me?!" she said, her face showing traces of annoyment, anger, and slight embarrasment.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Mizuki repeated, smirking as she saw her cousin blush a light shade of pink on her cheekbones.

"Just shut up, Zuki-chan," she said, ignoring her cousin's laughter. She walked over to Hannah and Tukari, starting up a conversation with the two of them. Then, once Zoe was done singing, Tukari left and got up on stage. She gently took the mic.

"All right, everyone!" she exclaimed, "let's all give a round of applause to Zoe, for that wonderful song!" Everyone in the room began to applaud, leaving Zoe flushed.

"So, who's going to sing next?" Tukari said, watching the many hands raise for her to see. A spotlight traveled around the room, then finally settled its light to shine on Kagome.

"Kagome," she called her cousin, who was shielding her eyes from the silvery light that fell upon her, "Come on up here and sing us something!" Kagome's skin paled slightly.

* * * * 

A/n: well, there's the end of chapter 2. don't forgert to R&R!

xoxo,

The Nightopian Princess


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: Here's chapter 3! Enjoy!

* * * * 

"No, no, and no!" she said, but was soon being dragged up by Hannah, who had grabbed both of her arms and was pulling her up the stairs. She handed Kagome the mic, then walked a few steps away and grabbed a guitar.

"Do you know any songs by Miley Cyrus?" she asked Kagome. Kagome just nodded.

"Which one are you going to sing?" She thought for a moment, then, Kagome leaned closer to the brunette 13-year-old and whispered the song name in her ear. Hannah nodded, then they all got in possitions. Hannah began playing the guitar. Kagome sighed, then took a deep breath, and opened her mouth to sing.

_"Gonna stay in bed today_

_'Cus I can't stand the light_

_Don't know why I get so down_

_I won't be much fun tonight_

_and I can't believe_

_You still wanna hang around me_

_It's not so pretty all the time_

_You don't mind_

_To you it's all right_

_As I am_

_Is how you take me_

_Never try to push or make me different_

_When I talk you listen to me_

_As I Am_

_Is how you won me in_

_I know I've found the piece I was missing_

_I'm looking at him_

_Not the girl you think you see_

_But maybe that's a lie_

_You almost know me better than_

_Me, myself, and I_

_Don't know alot of things_

_But I know what I've got_

_It's not so perfect every day_

_I don't have to try_

_cause it all falls into place_

_As I am_

_Is how you take me_

_Never try to push or make me different_

_When I talk you listen to me_

_As I Am_

_Is how you won me in_

_I know I've found the piece I was missing_

_I'm looking at him_

_Face to face_

_Eye to eye_

_You're standing there_

_Feels good on the inside_

_I don't mind_

_I don't care_

_You're standing there_

_Seeing me for the first time_

_Seeing me for the first time_

_Seeing me for the first time_

_As I am_

_Is how you take me_

_Never try to push or make me different_

_When I talk you listen to me_

_As I Am_

_Is how you won me in_

_I know I've found the piece I was missing_

_I'm looking at him_

_Found the piece I was missing_

_Take me as I am_

_When I talk you listen_

_Take me as I am_

_Found the piece I was missing_

_Take me as I am_

_When I talk you listen_

_Take me as I am"_

Everyone applauded, cheering and whistling echoeing off the large walls. She and Hannah smiled at the crowd, both taking a large bow before walking down to where Tukari and the others, save InuYasha, were waiting. As soon as they got to where the others were, Tukari and Zoe ran over to them and gave them both a hug.

"You guys rocked!" Zoe said, smiling at the both of them. Hannah just nodded, smiling and laughing.

"Thanks," Kagome said to her, hugging her back, "I never thought I'd remember the words!" Suddenly, Tasukuno ran through the crowd and grabbed Kagome by the arm. She turned, looking startledly at the younger boy behind her.

"What's the matter, Tasu?" she asked, worried.

"They want you to do an encore!" he said, beginning to pull her back on stage. She opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it and walked away with him to the stage once again. Hannah turned back to her friends.

"Hey," she said, counting all of them, "Where's Kagome's friend, InuYasha?" The entire group shrugged their shoulders.

"He may be outside, staring at the moon," Sota replied, "But, then again, he could be anywhere. When he chooses to be hidden, it's almost impossible to find him." They all stared out the large window, unknowing that InuYasha had heard it all, especially Kagome's song. He was blushing as red as his robe of the fire rat, her sweet, velvety voice still floating around him. His eyes softened at the thought of her, blushing even more so than before. He realized what he was thinking, and shook the thoughts from his head.

_/Why am I thinking these things?/_ he thought, _/Besides, it's not like she could ever feel the same for me. I'm a half-demon. The scum of the world. She'd never love me. Koga or that Hobo guy would be better for her. I'd just ruin her life.../_ He gasped silently, then turned and looked out of the snow covered branches he was sitting on to see Hannah and Tukari standing there, both looking up at him.

"InuYasha," Hannah said, placing her hands on her hips, "why are you all the way out here?"

"Yeah," Tukari continued, "it's freezing out here, and Kagome would have a cow if you caught a cold." InuYasha just 'feh'ed and turned away. Both girls sighed and shook their heads. Suddenly, the music from the party began to play a new song, this one loud enough that they could clearly hear it all the way outside. The three of them looked through the large window and saw Kagome, on stage. As soon as they saw her open her mouth, she began to sing.

_"I dont think about it  
I dont think about it _

_Misunderstood..  
Everybody feels that way sometimes.  
oh-oh-ohh  
I wish I could fit in with all the rest but I..  
Oh-oh-oh  
Got my own style  
Got my own way  
I dont care what people say  
Yeah! , Cause _

_I dont think about it  
I dont think about it  
I dont think about it  
being myself there ain't no doubt about it  
I wont cry any tears  
I just live without fear  
I'm so happy cause I'm living my life and I dont think about it _

_A shooting star twinkling across the sky at night  
Oh-Oh-Oh  
Near, far I wish that everything would be all right  
Oh-Oh-Oh  
Got my own dreams  
Got my own plans  
Gonna get there anyway I can cuz, _

_I dont think about it  
I dont think about it  
I dont think about it  
being myself there ain't no doubt about it  
I wont cry any tears  
I just live without fear  
I'm so happy cause I'm living my life and I dont think about it _

_Got my own style  
Got my own way  
I dont care what people say  
Yeah! , Cuz_

_  
I dont think about it  
I dont think about it  
I dont think about it  
being myself there ain't no doubt about it  
I wont cry any tears  
I just live without fear  
I'm so happy cause I'm living my life and I dont think about it _

_I dont think about it  
I dont think about it  
I dont think about it  
being myself there ain't no doubt about it  
I wont cry any tears  
I just live without fear  
I'm so happy cause I'm living my life and I dont think about it _

_Think about it.  
Think about it._

_  
Ohh.. I dont think about it_

_  
woahh.. yeahhh..cause I'm living my life and I dont think about it."_

They heard a lot of cheering and whistling as Kagome bowed, then they watched her walk off the stage. Hannah smiled as she caught her eye through the window. Kagome waved at them, then noticed InuYasha in the tree. She couldn't tell if was just a trick of the light, but was InuYasha...blushing? A hint of red appeared on her own cheeks as she walked away from the window, headed for the door.

"Here she comes!" Hannah said, watching Kagome run out to meet them. When she got to them, she was completely flushed, and was panting very hard. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She waited a few seconds to catch her breath before speaking.

"Why are...you guys...all the way...out...here?" she managed to get out, her breath still a bit staggered.

"No real reason," Tukari said, coming over to give Kagome a gentle pat on the back.

"I just love staring at the moon," Hannah said, shrugging her shoulders. Kagome laughed a little untill she began to cough uncontrollably, wobbling a little as she took a step back. Tukari and Hannah gasped, eyes wide with fear.

"Kagome!" InuYasha cried, jumping from the tree to see what was wrong. He caught her just as she was about to fall on the ground. He held her up to his chest, looking at her face worriedly. Her eyes were closed, but she continued to cough violently.

"Um, InuYasha," Tukari said, still bewildered by her cousin's coughing fit, "you stay here and make sure Kagome doesn't pass out or anything, and Hannah and I will run back inside and get her inhaler!" They quickly ran towards the house, calling for both Mrs. Matsumoto and Kagome's mother. InuYasha watched them leave for a few seconds, but had his attention drawn back to Kagome due to her violent coughing. His eyes widened with fear, and began to water at the thought of what might happen.

_/Kagome, what's going on? What's happening to you? Please, don't leave me. I don't know what I'd do without you!/_

* * * *

A/n: Well, there it is. The 4th chapter will be up soon. Please R&R.

xoxo,

The Nightopian Princess


	4. Chapter 4

A/n: Here's chapter 4. Enjoy

* * * *

"I-InuYasha..." InuYasha snapped out of his thoughts to see Kagome, her breath harsh and uneven, but her eyes were open.

"Kagome..." he whispered, holding her closer to him and burying his nose in the crook of her neck. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent. He pulled his head back up when she began to cough harder, and stared into her eyes, running his fingers gently through her hair. Her eyes closed shut again, her coughing becoming less viloent, but her breath was still very unstable. InuYasha gasped slightly. Her face looked as though she was having a nightmare. A tear fell onto her cheek, as he could not bear to see Kagome's beautiful face look so...frightened. It truely killed him inside, tieing his guts in a knot as she gasped in fear, her breath becoming more uneven.

"InuYasha!" a voice called. The half-demon dog looked up slightly to see Hannah and Tukari running towards them, a strange device in Hannah's hands. When they caught up to them, Kagome was basically gasping for breath. Hannah hurried over to her, placing the device in her hands. Kagome's eyes opened slightly, then quickly put the object to her mouth. She pressed the button on the top a few times, making sure to exhale inbetween each time. After a few seconds of that, she released the device, letting it drop to the ground. Her harsh breath had slowed to a steady pant, and she was sitting in InuYasha's lap, leaning on him to help her sit up straight, which made him blush. Once her breath had slowed to normal again, she spoke.

"T-Thank you, guys." she whispered, coughing once, "I didn't even know that the moms had my inhaler with them. I mean, I haven't had an asthma attack like that since I was 9 years old!" She coughed a few more times, gripping onto InuYasha for more support.

"Well, it's a good thing they did," Hannah said, pushing the stray hairs from Kagome's face, "I was afraid you suffocate or something! Don't you ever scare me like that again, Gome-chan!" Kagome laughed slightly, coughing once more. She then looked up to see two people running over to them. It was none other than Koji and Koichi.

"Hey, guys," said Koichi as the twins caught up to them, "why are you four all the way out here when we _all_ know that the party is _inside_, where it _isn't_ cold?" Hannah and Tukari looked at each other, then looked back at the boys.

"We had to get Kagome's inhaler!" Hannah said, standing and placing a hand on Koji's chest," I mean, she was coughing really badly, and it really scared us."

"Yeah," whispered Tukari, grabbing Koichi's hand, "I've never seen an asthma attack that bad before, not even while working as a candy striper at the hospital. I was afraid that she'd...that she'd..." She couldn't finish her sentence, and just buried her head in Koichi's shoulder, crying softly. Kagome looked at them, her eyes beginning to tear up.

"Y-You guys were that worried...about me?" she whispered, a tear falling elegantly down her cheek, melting the snow beneath them. The two girls looked back at her, tears filling in their own eyes.

"Of course we were, Mei Mei," Tukari whispered, leaving Koichi's side and walking over to her cousin. Hannah looked at Koji for a moment, then walked over and knealed beside Kagome.

"Yeah, I mean, I may have just met you today, but still, it feels like I've always known you, but I don't know how, when, or where..." Hannah whispered, placing a hand to her heart and looking up at the moon. Kagome gasped silently, then looked up at the moon with her.

_/Why do I feel the same way? And just why do I feel like calling her "Luna-chan" everytime I talk with her? Does this have something to do with an old prophecy from beyond the Fuedal Era? Ugh, do I have an imagination...and a headache./_

"Auntie Mei?" Kagome was brought from her thoughts at the sound of a young girl's voice. She looked at Hannah, and noticed something. Beside Hannah, there was a little girl, about six years old, staring back at her.

"Auntie Mei," she whispered, taking her arm, "will you sing us a lullaby?" Kagome's eyes watered slightly, then the girl dissappared. She gasped, loud enough for Hannah to hear.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" she asked, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. Kagome just continued to stare at Hannah. Hannah began to get worried; Kagome saw it in her eyes, then she gasped again. Hannah's eyes had changed from their normal amber brown to purple.

"Y-Your eyes..." she said, shivering slightly, "t-th-they changed..." Hannah closed her eyes gently, and opened them again, and they were once again their normal color.

"You've been out in the cold a little too long, Mei-chan," she said, smiling.

"Brr, and so have w-we," Tukari whispered, blushing slightly when Koichi draped his jacket over her shoulders.

"Tell ya what, Kagome," Hannah said, standing, "when you're feeling good enough to walk inside, you and InuYasha come in and meet us by the snack table, 'kay?" With that, they four younger teens went inside, leaving Kagome outside with InuYasha.

"Well that figures," she said, blowing the hair off her face, "they ditched us." InuYasha only nodded, more focused on Kagome's breathing patterns.

_/She's still breathing pretty heavilly/_ he thought, _/Maybe we should wait a while before going back inside. Besides, I kinda like her close to me like this...Whoa! Did I just think that?!/_ He was brought from his thoughts when Kagome began to stand, but fell again. He caught her just in time; her face was buried in his chest.

"Kagome, you should wait a bit before even thinking about moving from here," he said, tilting her chin so she was looking at his face. She looked into his eyes. They were filled with compassion and worry.

_/Wait a minute! InuYasha...was worried about me?/_ Her bottom lip quivered.

"I-InuYasha..." she whispered, placing a hand gently on his chest. A light pink blush crept across his cheeks. They just stayed there like that for a few minutes, then Kagome wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled him into a tight hug. The blush on his face turned to a deep crimson red, and his eyes widened.

"Kagome..." he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. She shivered slightly, burying her face in his neck. He pulled her back to see her face. Her lips had turned blue.

"Why don't we get you inside?" he said, placing a hand to her cheek; it felt ice cold at first, but a blush appeared on her face from his touch, and her cheek warmed greatly. Her eyes floated downwards, then widened.

"Y-Yeah, sure," she said, nervously, "but first, you might wanna see where your other hand is!" InuYasha raised an eyebrow in confusion at first, but then followed her gaze to see his left hand gently gripping Kagome's chest. His blush spread to his entire face, as did Kagome's.

"S-Sorry!" he said, bringing his hand back to his side. Kagome just continued to stare at where his hand had been.

_/Why do I feel like I wanted his hand to be there?/_ she thought, her blush never fading.

_/Damn. Why'd I do that?! I guess I'm just as bad as that lecherous monk.../_ InuYasha thought, rubbing his arm while staring at the snow-covered ground.

"Um..." Kagome said, "y-you're right. W-We should go back inside..."

"Y-Yeah..." InuYasha whispered. They never looked at each other. Kagome stood up, stumbling a bit. InuYasha grabbed her shoulders and waist to help get her back on her feet.

"Thanks," she said, turning to him with a smile. They walked quietly inside, InuYasha's arm still around her waist to make sure she didn't fall again. They walked over to the snack table; InuYasha sat Kagome down in a chair, made sure she was all right, then grabbed a few cookies and walked off.

.........

Kagome sighed, still a little red from the incident. She reached over the table and grabbed herself a cookie, then began to chew it in silence.

_/I can't believe it/ _she thought, taking another bite of her cookie, _/why would he do that? He's been hanging out with Miroku for too long.../_ She sighed again, looking at the floor.

"Why, hello there, Kagome," said a voice. Kagome looked up to see an old lady standing in front of her.

"Great-Gramma Suikonei!" she said, standing up to hug the old woman.

"Oh, Kagome, sweety," Suikonei said, pulling her back to look at her face, "My, how you've grown! You've become a beautiful young woman now."

"Thank you," Kagome said, smiling sweetly at her great grandmother.

"You know, sweet pea," Suikonei whispered, "someday, many men will fall in love with your beauty, but you must find the one that loves you for _you_. He will love your eyes, your personality, and everything about you. If you meet him, tell him how you feel about him when you come of age. No sooner, no later." With that, Suikonei kissed Kagome's cheek and shuffled away.

_/Same old Great-Gramma Suikonei.../_ Kagome thought, shaking her head, _/Always giving me advice that makes no sense to me. Oh well, by the time I understand it, I'll probably have already turned 18.../_

"Kagome!" Said girl turned to see a young girl running towards her. She ran right up to Kagome and hugged her tightly. Kagome lifted a delicate eyebrow in confusion.

"Okay..." she said, pushing the girl back some, "...who are you again?" The little girl sighed.

_/She can't be any older than 9.../ _Kagome thought.

"I'm Polly, Hannah's little sister. It's great to meet you!" Polly replied, hugging Kagome again. Kagome smiled and hugged her back this time.

"It's great to meet you, too, Polly," she replied, "I'm Kagome, though you probably already know, seeing as you just said my name." They both laughed.

"Yeah, my sister told me who you were," Polly said, pointing at Hannah, who stood beside Koji, who had his arms around her waist tightly as they danced to the music.

"I see..." Kagome said, stifiling a giggle. She rolled her eyes, then said "see ya" to Polly, and headed over to Zoe to chat. When she got over there, they both began staring at Hannah and Koji dance.

"They are so cute together..." Kagome said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, but Zoe didn't notice.

"Yeah," she said, "You wanna trick them later?" Kagome stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

"Trick them?" she asked. Zoe nodded, smirking to herself in a sly way. Kagome shook her head.

"No, I don't think..." she started, but then she began to think.

_/Hmm, trick them...Oh, how many ways there are to do it.../_

"Well?" Zoe asked impatiently.

"Okay, I'll do it!"

"Really? Awesome! Now, let's go outside so we can plan this in peace..." Kagome and Zoe snuck away, unaware that the couple they planned to trick was watching them the whole time. Hannah shook her head and sighed.

"When will she stop coming up with those ridiculous plans of hers to trick us?" she asked Koji, placing her head on his shoulder. Koji shrugged, careful not to knock her off in the process.

"She's just a nutcase, I guess," Koji replied. Hannah nodded.

"I heard that!" Zoe called to them, throwing a snowball at them. They, thankfully, managed to dodge, but ended up falling onto the floor. Hannah and Koji laughed and rolled their eyes as Zoe stormed off, dragging Kagome off with her. Koji stood up, and grabbed Hannah's hand to pull her off the ground. Just when she was almost all they way off the ground, she stepped on some snow, slipped, and fell forward. Koji caught her gently before she could hit the floor again.

"You okay?" he asked, brushing her bangs out of her face. She nodded, blushing slightly at how close they were.

_/Wow/ _she thought, _/I can hear his heart beating.../_ Their faces were only inches apart as it was. They slowly got closer untill the space was closed in a passionate kiss. Koji put his arms around her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. They finally broke apart when the flash of a camera pierced through their closed eyelids. They looked to see that Takuya had the camera, and was showing it off to everyone. Hannah rolled her eyes, then turned back to Koji and said,

"Should I kill him, or do we let him take more pictures?" Koji thought for a moment.

"I don't know," he replied, "what do you think?"

"Can we do both?" she asked hopefully.

"You can try," Koji replied. She smiled and gently placed a kiss on his lips. Another flash shone a them, and in an instant, Hannah had grabbed a wooden stick and was chasing Takuya throughout the entire building.

"You are so dead!" she exclaimed, swinging the stick at his head, missing by only an inch. Takuya screamed, running even faster.

"Man, you should try out for baseball!" he cried, barely dodging another swing of the stick, "You're fast enough, and you have a great swing!" At that very moment, she hit him right on the pressure point on the top of his head. **(A/N: Follow the tips of your ears to the middle of your head, and press down hard. That's the pressure point. It doesn't always work, though...But it does if you hit it really hard, like Hannah did.)** He fell down onto the floor, face first, unconcious. Hannah took one look at him, turned to see if anyone saw what had happened, and walked away as if she were an innocent passerby.

"My work here is done," she whispered to Koji, giving him a hug.

"I'm not so sure about that," he whispered back, kissing her neck a few times, making her giggle slightly from the tickling sensation of his touch. He looked into her eyes, kissing her gently on the lips. Hannah blushed slightly, closing her eyes to return the kiss. When they broke, they just smiled at each other, wrapping their arms around each other.

"Aww," came a voice, making the couple jump with a start, "you two are so cute! If I didn't know any better, and if I already wasn't _sick to my stomach_, I would have destroyed you both by now!" Hannah rolled her eyes at Reala's comment.

"Ignore him, and maybe he'll go away!" she whispered hastily to Koji, who nodded. They grabbed hands, intertwining their fingers, and walked over to Tukari and Koichi, ignoring every rude, stupid, and perverted comment that came from Reala's mouth.

* * * *

A/n: There's chapter 4. Hope ya'll liked it. the 5th chapter is coming soon. R&R

xoxo,

The Nightopian Princess


	5. Chapter 5

A/n: Here's chapter 5. Enjoy

* * * *

"Reala had better be glad he's our brother," Tukari whispered to her, making Hannah smile and nod. They looked up at Mizuki, who was singing on stage, smiling and laughing happilly. When the song ended, Tukari walked back up the steps to the stage and gently took the mic from Mizuki.

"How are you guys so far?" she asked everyone, "Are you all ready for the first gift of Christmas?" Cheers and whistles and applause rang through the room, and Tukari had to cover her ears from the volume of the noise.

"All right, all right," she said, hushing the crowd, "now, before we get to that, there is one other tradition." Hannah looked at Tukari with a confused expression.

"Other tradition?" she whispered to Koji, "What's she talking abo-"

"Now is the time when the gift giver, my best friend, Hannah, will sing a few songs before giving away the first gift!" The crowd cheered, as Hannah just blushed from having to go up there and sing.

"Come on, Hannah," Tukari said, placing one hand on her hips.

"Yeah, Hannah," said Tommy and Polly in unison, trying desperately to lift Takuya's still-unconcious body from the ground.

"Go on, Hannah," Koji whispered in her ear, "or else I'll get the water bucket." Hannah's eyes widened.

"I thought we promised never to speak of that evil thing ever again!" she whispered back, frantic. By now, the crowd was chanting her name, and it hurt her ears as well as everyone elses'. Koji and Koichi managed to drag her up the steps to the mic, despite the fact that she threatened them with everything under the sun. They knew she was bluffing, and they just dragged her to center stage, and handed her the mic. Koji kissed her once on the cheek, wished her luck, then hastily followed his brother back off the stage. Hannah held the mic tightly in her grasp, blushing from how quiet it had gotten. All eyes in that room were on her; even Kagome and Zoe had stepped back inside to witness this moment. Hannah gulped.

"Well," she whispered with a sigh, "if you can't beat them..." She nodded to the band members, mouthed the song name to them, then turned back to the audience with a smile. The music began to play, and the crowd cheered her on. Hannah took a deep breath.

"Here it goes..."

_"You don't know my name  
You don't know anything about me  
I try to play nice  
I want to be in your game  
The things that you say  
You may think I never hear about them  
But word travels fast  
I'm telling you to your face  
I'm standing here behind your back _

_You don't know how it feels  
To be outside the crowd  
You don't know what it's like  
To be left out  
And you don't know how it feels  
To be your own best friend_

_On the outside looking in _

_If you could read my mind  
You might see more of me that meets the eye  
And you've been all wrong  
Not who you think I am  
You've never given me a chance _

_You don't know how it feels  
To be outside the crowd  
You don't know what it's like  
To be left out  
And you don't know how it feels  
To be your own best friend_

_On the outside looking in _

_Well, I'm tired of staying at home  
I'm bored and alone  
I'm sick of wasting all my time _

_You don't know how it feels  
To be outside the crowd  
You don't know what it's like  
To be left out  
And you don't know how it feels  
To be your own best friend_

_On the outside looking in _

_You don't know how it feels  
To be outside the crowd  
You don't know what it's like  
To be left out  
And you don't know how it feels  
To be your own best friend_

_On the outside looking in"_

The crowd cheered. Hannah bowed to everyone, smiling to them. Her face was flushed from all of the clapping and whistling she was getting.

"Thank you!" she said, "How are all of you tonight?" The crowd cheered even louder.

"That song was one of my personal favorites," Hannah said, "It is called 'Outside Looking In' by Jordan Pruitt. I like that song because it reminds me of my childhood. I grew up without many friends. People made fun of me, and there were some that pretended to be my friends, then told lies and made fun of me behind my back. They later started saying those things to my face, and it really hurt. I thought that they were my friends, and hearing those things from them just hurts me to this very day. But you know what? What happened then, and the choices I made then, are what made me who am now; that made me the person that's standing before you right now. And you know what else? If one of those people who made fun of me then were to come here and insult me, behind my back or to my face, I would walk right on by, and pretend as if they weren't there.

"What they say still hurts me," she continued, "but I can live with it now. I've learned that it's stupid for people like me, people like most of us, to believe those harsh comments! I've learned that if everyone was unable to feel emotional pain the way I feel and the way others feel would make this world the most boring and worst place ever known to mankind." The crowd cheered, and a few cried tears of truth and joy. Kagome took a step towards the stage, tears leaking out the corners of her eyes.

_/That's just how I felt.../ _she thought, _/...when people used to make fun of me.../_

* * * *

A/n: There's the 5thchapter. Chapter 6 is next. R&R

xoxo,

The Nightopian Princess


	6. Chapter 6

A/n: Here's Chapter 6. Enjoy.

* * * *

"This next song, I would like to dedicate to my friends, Zoe and Takuya, or as we call him, Taky." Hannah said, "It's called 'Sk8er Boi' by Avril Lavigne." The crowd cheered as the band began playing. Hannah took off her black and purple cape, revealing the slinky, silky, shimmering purple dress beneath. It was a strapless, and reached mid-thigh. It was tight, so it showed off all her curves. A black sash was around her waist, tied in the back with a big, fluffy bow. A golden cresent moon jewel was embedded on the part of the sash located on her right hip. On her feet were black pointe shoes, tied in ribbons in the back as Kagome's were. She looked absolutely stunning. She took a deep breath, and opened her mouth to sing.

_"He was a boy,  
She was a girl,  
Can I make it any more obvious?  
He was a punk,  
She did ballet,  
What more can I say  
He wanted her,  
She'd never tell, secretly she wanted him as well  
But all of her friends,  
Stuck up their nose,  
They had a problem with his baggy clothes... _

_He was a skater boy,  
She said "see you later boy",  
He wasn't good enough for her  
She had a pretty face,  
But her head was up in space,  
She needed to come back down to earth _

_5 years from now,  
She sits at home,  
Feeding the baby, she's all alone  
She turns on TV,  
Guess who she sees,  
Skater boy rockin on MTV,  
She calls up her friends,  
They already know,  
And they've all got tickets to see his show  
She tags along,  
Stands in the crowd,  
Looks up at the man that she turned down _

_He was a skater boy,  
She said "see you later boy",  
He wasn't good enough for her  
Now he's a super star,  
Slammin' on his guitar,  
Does your pretty face see what he's worth? _

_He was a skater boy,  
She said "see you later boy",  
He wasn't good enough for her  
Now he's a super star,  
Slammin' on his guitar,  
Does your pretty face see what he's worth? _

_Sorry girl but you missed out,  
Well, tough luck that boy's mine now,  
We are more than just good friends,  
This is how the story ends  
Too bad that you couldn't see,  
See the man that boy could be,  
There is more than meets the eye,  
I see the soul that is inside _

_He's just a boy,  
And I'm just a girl,  
Can I make it any more obvious  
We are in love,  
Haven't you heard,  
How we rock each others world _

_I'm with the skater boy,  
I said see you later boy,  
I'll be back stage after the show  
I'll be at the studio,  
Singing the song we wrote,  
About a girl you used to know _

_I'm with the skater boy,  
I said see you later boy,  
I'll be back stage after the show  
I'll be at the studio,  
Singing the song we wrote,  
About a girl you used to know"_

The crowd cheered even louder than before, and Zoe blushed because she knew Hannah dedicated it to her and Taky because she is the only one who truely knows how much Zoe really loves Takuya.

* * * *

A/n: Here's the end of the 6th chapter, obviously. Chapter 7 is coming soon. R&R

xoxo,

The Nightopian Princess


	7. Chapter 7

A/n: Here's chapter 7. Enjoy.

* * * *

"All right, all right," Hannah said, lifting a hand to silence the audience. Once they were silent, she continued.

"I have one more song to sing before we give the first gift. This song, I want to dedicate to Koji, Tukari, Koichi, and, well, everybody here! This song, 'I'm only me when I'm with you', by Taylor Swift, is my all time favorite song. It reminds me of the importance of friendship and love. To truely succeed in life, one must have both love and friendship, as well as trust in one another and a reason to fight for them. As long as you have your friends by your side, nothing can keep you down." The people applauded for her, cheering her on once more. The band once again began to play. Hannah smiled at Koji, mouthed "I love you", and blew him a kiss. He smiled at her, and returned the air-kiss. She sighed happily, then took one last deep breath.

"This is it..."

_"Friday night beneath the stars_

_In the field behind your yard_

_You and I have painted pictures in the sky_

_And sometimes we don't say a thing_

_Just listen to the crickets sing_

_Everything I need is right here by my side_

_And I know everything about you_

_I don't wanna live without you_

_I'm only up when you're not down_

_Don't wanna fly if you're still on the ground_

_It's like no matter what I do_

_Well, you drive me crazy half the time_

_The other half, I'm only trying to let you know that what I feel is true_

_And I'm only me when I'm with you_

_Just a small town boy and girl_

_Living in a crazy world_

_Trying to figure out what is and isn't true_

_And I don't try to hide my tears_

_The secret's all in my deepest fears_

_Through it all, nobody gets me like you do_

_And you know everything about me_

_Just say that you can't live without me_

_I'm only up when you're not down_

_Don't wanna fly if you're still on the ground_

_It's like no matter what I do_

_Well, you drive me crazy half the time_

_The other half, I'm only trying to let you know that what I feel is true_

_And I'm only me when I'm with you_

_When I'm with anybody else_

_It's so hard to be myself_

_And only you can tell_

_That I'm only up when you're not down_

_Don't wanna fly if you're still on the ground_

_It's like no matter what I do_

_Well, you drive me crazy half the time_

_The other half, I'm only trying to let you know that what I feel is true_

_And I'm only me..._

_Well, I'm only me-e-e..._

_And I'm only me when I'm with you!_

_With you..._

_Oh-oh-oh, yeah"_

She bowed one last time before the audience before handing the mic back to Tukari.

"What do you say we give her a round of applause?" Everyone cheered for her, clapping and screaming, giving Hannah the worst headache ever, but she didn't care. She kept her eyes on Koji, smiling at him.

"All right, Hannah," Tukari said, turning to her, "Tell us everything about how you made your choice before you announce the winner." Hannah nodded, accepting the mic once more.

"Okay, everyone, I must admit that this was the most tough decission I've ever had to make," she said once Tukari had silenced the audience again.

"At first, I had three candidates, each one chosen for specific reasons. I will not announce their names, in hope of not causing the next nuclear war, and I'm talking to you, Zoe and Takuya." Everyone laughed, even Zoe, although Takuya was _**still**_ unconcious.

"What I will tell you, though, are the reasons _**why **_I chose them: The first candidate was chosen for his abillity to communicate with others. He could always say what he felt, no matter how hard it was on him inside, he could get it out camly and quietly. He never got mad very easily, and has been a very good friend of mine ever since I moved here to Japan.

"The second candidate was chosen for her courage. She never gave up, and never quit. She stood tall against all odds, and made it out with all pieces intact. She is strong, physically and mentally. She was also chosen for dedication and loyalty. Once she started something, she always carried it out to the very end. She stood by her friends, no matter what. And she always will, even if it means death, because she cares more about her friends, family, and loved ones more than anyone I know. She helped save my life on multiple occasions, and still found it in her heart to help those of whom had tried to harm us. She is as if a twin sister to me, and I will forever stand by her as she has for me and everyone else.

"The third and final candidate was chosen for her determination. She stood up for what she believed in, and always tried to find a way to her goal. She is very caring, and will help anyone in need. At age nine, she saved her best friend from certain death, and survived without a scratch on her. Her will power alone is strong enough to withstand any kind of hypnotism or brain washing, which Tasukuno, apparantly, has learned from experience. I may have only met her today, but she is a wonderful person, and I am glad to have met her. I hope to continue to stay friends with her from here on out." Everyone clapped, smiling at her. Kagome's jaw dropped the floor the moment Hannah mentioned the part where the third candidate saved her best friend's life.

_/Okay, how did she know about that? I'm the only one in here that I can think of that saved her best friend's life. I saved Selena from being killed in that fire when we were in grade school. In fact, I saved her life, Hojo's life, AND Ayumi's life that day. I've been having athsma attacks ever since.../_

"All right, who's ready to hear who gets the first gift of Christmas?" Hannah exclaimed into the microphone. Everyone cheered loudly, and Kagome quickly closed her mouth before anyone noticed. Hannah held up a hand to silence the crowd; an envelope appeared out of nowhere above the palm of her hand and gracfully fell into her grasp. She held it lightly between two fingers.

"Polly," she said, startling her sister, "I want you to announce who won this special, handmade gift." Polly nodded and smiled, running up to take the envelope from her sister.

"Drum-roll, please," she said, and the drummer began the drum roll. She slowly opened the envelope and took out the enclosed letter. She unfolded it, and silently read the name to herself first, before continuing.

"And the winner is..." The entire crowd was hushed, many people crossing their fingers in hope of winning. Polly glaced at all of the faces in the crowd, then faced the envelope again. Hannah let her eyes fall onto Kagome, who just stood a few yards away from the stage with Tommy, Sota, Koichi, Kouji, and her mom and grandpa; her eyes were as wide as dinnerplates, and both hands were folded in front of her.

_/She looks nervous.../_ Hannah thought, smirking, _/The suspense is killing her, most likely.../_ Hannah turned to Polly, who turned to her again. This time, Hannah replied with a nod and smile. Polly nodded back, grinning ear to ear as she held the paper higher. She cleared her throat before speaking.

"...Kagome Higurashi!"

* * * *

A/n: There's chapter 7. Chapter 8 is coming soon. R&R

xoxo,

The Nightopian Princess


	8. Chapter 8

A/n: Here's Chapter 8. This one took forever to come up with, let alone write. Besides, I posted it up on Christmas, but I didn't think it through, so now, I've edited it. Please enjoy.

* * * *

Kagome stared blankly at the stage.

_/...I won?.../_ was all she could think as Tasukuno ran over to her and pulled her onto the stage by her arm. Tukari stood by her left and appluaded, while Hannah stood on her right and got the gift out. It was a small, silver box wrapped in a single red bow.

"And now," Tukari said into the microphone, "it is time for the first gift of Christmas!" Hannah placed the gift into Kagome's hands, then walked down the steps to stand with Koji. Kagome stood there for a moment, then slowly took the bow off of the box. She took the lid off the box carefully, then gasped in awe. Inside the box, there laid a beautiful, golden, heart-shaped locket.

"Merry Christmas, Kagome-san!" Tukari said as Kagome gently took the locket out of the box and placed it in her pocket. The crowd cheered as Kagome walked down the steps and outside into the snow to look for InuYasha. Tukari jumped lightly off the stage and walked over to Koichi, Hannah, and Koji. She leaned in close to Hannah for a moment.

"Phase one..."

"...is complete!" Hannah finished in a slight whisper before walking off to dance with Koji.

* * *

"InuYasha? Inuyasha?" Kagome called, wondering in the snow for a while. She found him after a while sitting by the frozen pond a whiles away from the hustle and bustle of the Christmas party.

"There you are," she said, walking over to him, "I've been looking all over for you." InuYasha looked up at her and smiled slightly.

"Well, you've found me," he replied. Kagome giggled a bit, then sat down beside him in the snow. She sighed contently, and stared out at the icy water in front of them.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she whispered, smiling to herself.

"It's okay, I guess," InuYasha said, then looked at her and thought, _/...but I wouldn't say 'beautiful', not with you sitting right here next to me.../ _Kagome sighed again and turned to him. Realizing what he had just thought, he turned away quickly, his face flushed. Kagome looked at his face, then got a slightly concerned look in her eyes.

"Hey, InuYasha," she whispered, "are you okay? Your face is really red." She reached her hand out and lightly touched his cheek. His cheeks turned three shades darker from her warm touch. He turned slowly to look at her. They gazed gently into each other's eyes.

"Kagome!" a voice reached them through the silence, breaking the two out of their trance. They quickly looked away from each other, both slightly red in the face. Kagome looked up to see two girls running towards them. One wore a blue dress and blue shoes, her strawberry-blonde hair tied in a ponytail, and cold, blue eyes; the other had a long, green dress with green boots, and long, dirty-blonde hair. She also had cold, blue eyes. Both came up to them with the same fake smile pasted on their faces. Kagome looked at them, stunned.

"Anika? Yumiko? You guys lost, or something?" she asked, lifting a delicate eyebrow in confusion. The girls laughed, causing Kagome even more confusion.

"Oh, Kagome," the strawberry-blonde, Anika, laughed, "always the comedian!" Kagome leaned away from the two slightly, bumping into InuYasha in the process.

"You two are scaring me now..." she whispered, gripping the ground beneath her for support ,"You guys have never been this nice to me since....ever." Yumiko laughed once, making Kagome jump.

"Oh, please, Kagome, "she replied, "it's Christmas! Can't we be nice to our _favorite_ cousin." Her voice held a sickly sweet tone that made Kagome glare back in response. She pushed her hand back further, and grabbed InuYasha's hand, squeezing it tightly. InuYasha looked at their hands, then looked at Kagome's face and saw it; there was fear, pure fear, visable in her eyes. His brow furrowed.

_/Why is Kagome scared of these two?/ _he thought,_ /We face of demons every day, and she's scared of them? What could they have done to make her fear them like this?/_

"Hey, Kagome," Anika said, "could we borrow you for a moment?" Kagome was silent for a moment, squeezing InuYasha hand even tighter.

"Well...." she replied, looking away, "...I guess so."

"Yes!" Yumiko whispered to herself, though InuYasha noticed.

"J-Just let me tell InuYasha something really quick," Kagome said. The two girls nodded, then grinned evilly at each other. Kagome turned to InuYasha.

"If I'm not back in ten minutes, come find me," she whispered. She pulled the locket out of her pocket and placed it in his hand, curling his fingers around it. "Keep an eye on this, and don't lose it, got it?" InuYasha nodded slightly, gazing into her eyes. Then, she got up, and turned to her cousins.

"'Kay," she said, "let's go." Yumiko and Anika grabbed both of her arms and dragged her off, though Kagome didn't protest once. InuYasha watched after them for a few moments. He saw Kagome turn her head towards him, her eyes greatly showing her fear. Before he could say anything, she turned her head back to face where she was going. InuYasha sighed, then uncurled his fist to see the golden locket shining up at him in the moonlight. Kagome's face, shaken and scared like it had been during her asthma attack, crossed his mind. He closed his fist again and held it to his chest.

_/Kagome.../_ he thought, _/...Why are you so afraid of these two?/_

* * * *

A/n: Well, that's chapter 8! Chapter 9 is up next! Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! Don't forget to R & R!

Thursday, December, 25 2008

10:47:24 PM

(Edited: Saturday, January 10, 2009: 06:46:52 PM)

xoxo,

The Nightopian Princess


	9. Chapter 9

A/n: Here's chapter 9! I hope this is good, cause it took me forever to write. Enjoy.

* * * *

"So, um, guys, where are we going?" Anika and Yumiko looked at each other and winked.

"Oh, you'll see, Kagome!" Yumiko replied, as Anika giggled to herself. Kagome looked at both of them, the confusion evident on her face.

_/They're probably going to lock me in the stable with Cookie again,/_ she thought, _/Or maybe they'll tie me to a tree and leave me in the cold like last year.../ _She sighed lightly to herself and continued walking, although she didn't really have a choice to. They were walking towards the back of the large mansion, towards a small, worn out shack hidden in the trees.

_/Hmm, you think I would've noticed this before.../_ Kagome thought, shrugging to herslef as they reached the small building. Yumiko released Kagome's arm for a moment to hold the molding door open for them. Anika walked Kagome, a dark grin on her face. As soon as they were all completely inside, Yumiko closed the door shut, and they were left in complete darkness. Kagome turned her head in all directions, unable to see anything; she felt Anika let go of her arm.

"Um, guys?" she whispered, turning around, "W-What's going on? I-I can't see anything." She heard a slight chuckle, then, she suddenly felt herself falling. She landed on her back, a rusted nail cutting the back of her neck. She yelped in pain, feeling the blood rush down her back as she sat up. She held the back of her neck, wincing from the pain, glaring up into the darkness.

"Oh, puh-leaze, Kagome," she heard Yumiko say.

"As if we would ever be nice to you," Anika finsihed, her voice coming from the opposite side of the warehouse. The last thing Kagome noticed was something tight being wrapped around her, then everything went black.

* * * *

"Hey, Hannah, is something wrong?" Koji asked as Hannah quickly spun her head in all directions and sniffed.

"I smell blood," she whispered. Koji's eyes widened.

"C-Can you reckognize the scent?" he whispered back. She growled, and shook her head slightly. Suddenly, she took his hand and dragged him to the coat closet at the other side of the ballroom, locking the door behind them.

"Why'd you lock us in here?" Koji asked suspiciously. Hannah turned slightly towards him, a grave look on her face.

"I-I..." she started, tears whelling up in her eyes, "...I h-heard s-s-someone th-thi-thinking about k-killing K-Ka..." She couldn't finish, tears running down her cheeks like rain running down the side of a mountain. She dropped down to her knees, holding her face in her hands. Koji gasped lightly, then quickly walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her hair.

"That's gotta b-be what I s-smelled," she whispered, burying her face in his chest, "Her blood! I-It's gotta be!" She was bawling now, unable to control her tears at all. Koji just held her tighter, running his fingers through her hair. Hannah lifted her head up and looked at him, her eyes red and puffy from crying so much.

"Do you think that, i-if I can already smell her blood, that i-it's too late? That w-we can't s-save her?" Koji shook his head, brushing her tears away with his thumb.

"Don't ever think like that, Hannah," he whispered, kissing her forehead, "It can't be too late. I know you can save her, but you might need InuYasha's help." Hannah nodded, laughing slightly.

"Yeah, he gets so freaked out when she's in trouble," she said, sniffling, "You should have seen his face during her asthma attack." She stopped laughing for a moment, and looked up into Koji's navy eyes.

"Do you really think that I can get there in time?" Hannah asked in a quiet tone. Koji simled and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"I know you can, Hannah," he replied, "You're my Princess, and you can do anything you set your mind to." Hannah smiled and giggled slightly.

"What?"

"You have no idea how cheesy that was." Koji shook his head at his girlfriend's strangeness. Hannah leaned up towards him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Don't worry," she said, "it was a good kind of cheesy." Koji smiled at her. They both stood up and left the room, headed towards the large doors leading outside back at the other side of the room. They stood by the door, just looking at each other.

"So, I go and get InuYasha, then come back and save Kagome?" Hannah asked Koji, who nodded. She nodded once, and turned to head out into the snow.

"Wait." Hannah turned back to him to see him place his jacket over her shoulders. She blushed slightly at the warmness of it as she placed her arms through the sleeves.

"It'll keep you warm out there," he said, slightly pink, "and be careful, okay? I almost lost you once, and-"

"It's okay Koji," Hannah interrupted him with a kiss on the lips, "I promise that I'll come back alive." With that, she turned around and ran out into the night.

* * * *

A/n: Well, that's chapter 9! I can't wait to see what comes in chapter 10! (of course, I AM the writer!) Well, 'till next time! Don't forget to R & R!

xoxo,

The Nightopian Princess


	10. Chapter 10

A/n: Here's chapter 10! I know chapter 9 was short, so I tried to make this one extra long to make up for it. (Of course, chapter 9 reminded me of chapter 127 of Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, which was not even a whole page!) Enjoy.

* * * *

"InuYasha?! InuYasha?!" Hannah was running as fast as she could go, calling out for the half-demon. Bushes and thorns tore at her legs, making long, bleeding scratches, but she didn't care; she _had_ to find InuYasha! Kagome's life _depended_ on it! She ran and ran, searching every part of the forest.

_/The scent of blood is stronger now.../_ she thought, almost a mile away from the party, _/...How much time is left to save Kagome?/_ After a while of searching, she finally found InuYasha by a crystalized pond, deep in thought. He sniffed the air, and looked up at her.

"What happened to you?" he asked coldly. Hannah took a few steps towards him.

"Nothing that won't dissappear by morning," she said, "Anyways, I need your help." He stood up and faced her completely.

"What do you want?" he asked, putting his hands into the sleeves of his kimono. Hannah looked down and swallowed uncomfortably.

_/Oh, come on, Hannah!/_ she screamed in her head, _/It's the only way he'll believe you! GET ON WITH IT!/_

"Well, what do you need?" he repeated impatiently. Hannah sighed silently to herself, then looked up at InuYasha with tears in her eyes.

"InuYasha," she whispered, taking a step closer, "you may find this hard to believe, but I'm a half-demon, like you, except I can hide my demon scent behind my human scent so no one finds out." InuYasha raised an eyebrow, but she continued.

"I also have the power to read peoples minds, an-"

"Oh, yeah right," InuYasha said, "as if you could read minds!" He laughed once and turned away.

_/What a doof!/ _he thought, _/As if! She's so making this up! Why did she say she needed my help if this was what she was going to tell me?/_

"Okay, that's it!" Hannah said, stepping even closer to him to look him right in the eye, "Number one: I am _not_ a doof, number two: I'm also not making this up, and number three: I said I needed you because I need your help, but I needed to explain all of this so you'd get it! Got it?" InuYasha stood there, shocked.

_/Um...did she just read my mind?/_

"Yes, nitwit!" Hannah yelled, glaring at the hanyou, "I _did_ read you mind! And, if you don't hurry up and help me, we might be too late to save Kagome!" With that, InuYasha snapped. He grabbed a hold of Hannah's shoulders and shook her.

"What happened? Where's Kagome?!" he asked, a snarl on his face. He stopped shaking her and growled, causing Hannah's eyes to widen. She gently lifted his hands off of her shoulders, and looked him in the eye.

"I dont' know exactly where," she admitted, "but I've been smelling blood for about five or six minutes now, and I-"

"Blood?!" InuYasha screeched, interrupting her.

"Yes, blood," Hannah replied, "and it's mixed with three different scents, one of which I'm certain is Kagome's. Also, I heard some people thinking about ki-...k-killing Kagome..." the last bit trailed into an inaudiable whisper. InuYasha turned to her, his face as pale as the frozen surface of the water **(A/N: and who says I can't be poetic?)**

"You mean to tell me," he said, "that all this time I've been sitting here-"

"That someone was hurting her," she finished, "someone who managed to get her alone; away from you or anyone else." InuYasha's eyes widened. A flash of Anika and Yumiko appeared for a moment in his mind. Hannah looked at him, her eyes widening as she saw the girls in his head.

"Kagome's cousins..." he started, "...No wonder she was so afraid of them. They hurt her, and I let them..." He trailed off, unfurling his fist to stare at the golden locket Kagome had told him to hold. Hannah walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax," she whispered, "we can still save her." InuYasha just nodded.

"But we gotta leave right now," Hannah said, standing up straight. The inu-hanyou nodded once again, and soon, they were both running off through the trees, as fast as they could go, following the scent of blood.

* * * *

_"Tsuki..."_ The genie Nightmaren/Nightopian woke with a start. Sitting up, she realized where she was, and what the voice was. She was in the Mystic Forest, with Sunset and Sprinkle, and the voice was Hannah.

_"Please," _Hannah whispered, _"Tuski, you have to come...a friend of mine...she's really hurt, please come help us!"_ Tsuki's eyes widened, and she quickly lept up from her spot, scooping up the other two gently in her arms. Silently, she opened a portal and flew through it, getting caught in the blinding snow.

* * * *

A/n: Well, there's chapter 10 for you. I know it wasn't much, but I've had writer's block for a long time, and my Dad just explained this confusing plot line he came up with (writing's just a hobby for him; he's a computer nerd) and I had to explain Maximum Ride to him, going through the character bios and explaining some of their powers (I didn't get to Fang, Max, Iggy, Nudge, or Gazzy's powers, but I got Angel's in major detail). Well, don't forget to review! If you do, I'll give you a cyber cookie. If you don't, I'll send Squeaky after you!

**Josh A. (a friend from school who **_**may **_**be mentioned in my fanfictions; I call him "Onii-chan", which means "Dearest Older Brother" in Japanese) : I am NOT Squeaky!**

TNP : Yes, you are, Onii-chan; I heard you, Gaelan heard you, and Tyler heard you. Even Quinton heard you! Deal with it! L8r!

**Aangel (Gaelan, my "sister" from school) : Actually, Charlie's Squeaky now...**

TNP : Huh, really? I didn't knoe Aniki-san was Squeaky now...

**Charlie (Josh's "twin", and my "Aniki"; That means "Older Brother" in a more masculan (did I spell that right?) way, in Japanese, even though I'm a girl) : Squeak!**

TNP : Oh, well, I guess he is...(at least it's better than the song he sang earlier...)

**Charlie : (singing) I'm too sexy for my dress, too sexy for my dress, hmmm hmm hm hm hmm hm hmmm!**

TNP : (sweatdrop) yep, that's the one. anyways, read and review, plz! It's that itty-bitty green button, right there!

xoxo,

The Nightopian Princess


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